The Immeasurable Wilds: Travellers to the Far North of Scotland

Skeoch Cumming: Sketches for an Early Dovecot Tapestry

Many of you reading this will know, I am sure, of the wonderful Dovecot Studios in Infirmary Street, Edinburgh. You can look down from the gallery onto what used to be a swimming pool, and see people quietly at work at huge looms creating vast tapestries, many of which will be destined to decorate public buildings throughout Great Britain. R.B. Kitaj's "If Not, Not", for example, now hangs in the British Library, covering a huge 7m x 7m.

The studios began life in more modest premises in Corstorphine, on the outskirts of the City. The 4th Duke of Bute founded what was called The Edinburgh Tapestry Company in 1912, a less-than-ideal starting date as work quickly came to an end in 1914 with the start of World War One. Worse still, the two master weavers, Gordon Berry and John Glassbrook, were killed in the conflict, and the first tapestry had to wait until 1928 before it finally was completed and hung at Mount Stuart on Bute. Titled "Lord of the Hunt", this was a large piece depicting a hunting scene, which you can still see hanging in the house. It was designed by the artist William Skeoch Cumming (1864 - 1929).

Some years ago, I bought a collection of designs and sketches which came from the Dovecot Studios. Many of these I have since sold, but I have retained some lovely pencil sketches which I believe to be done by Skeoch Cumming in preparation for the tapestry. I display them below.